Maldives Holidays

Maldives Travel Guide

The Maldives offer holidaymakers the perfect chance to enjoy some blissful alone time or some intimate time with a loved one. Each island typically has one hotel, due to their small size, which simply adds to the feeling of exclusivity. The Maldives are known for being a relaxing getaway — as opposed to a party town like some tropical locations. It’s hard not to be relaxed when you’re sitting on a beach of white sand staring into the crystal blue water of the Indian Ocean.

To get to your chosen paradise island, you simply get a speedboat from the capital, Malé. Locals will do their best to make you feel welcome as they often come to greet new arrivals on the island with a live musical performance. But you don’t have to spend your entire trip in the Maldives either, as many Irish holidaymakers choose to split their time between the Maldives and Dubai.

When Is The Best Time To Holiday In The Maldives?

The islands lie along the equator, giving the Maldives its warm, tropical climate. In fact, the Maldives can boast warm weather all year round with the average temperature usually reaching the high twenties to early thirties.

Unfortunately, due to the presence of South Asia to the north of the Maldives, the islands do experience annual monsoon rainfall. The best way to avoid this is to travel between November and May, with January and February typically being the driest months.

Because of the Maldives’ location on the equator, the islands don’t experience winter like we do. This means that you can leave a freezing winter behind in Ireland to soak up some sun on the beach.

5 Unbelievably Romantic Things To Do In The Maldives

1. Enjoy a sunset on the beach – It may sound corny, but there’s a reason this is a classic. Just spend a night on one of the picturesque beaches, watching the sun go down with your new husband or wife and you’ll understand.

2. See the coral reefs – If you make it all the way to the Maldives, it seems like a terrible waste not to see the coral reefs that adorn the islands. The crystal clear and delightfully warm waters make a dive by the reefs a perfect romantic activity.

3. Explore on a safari boat – See more of the Maldives by hopping on one of the safari boats which will take you to some of the uninhabited islands. Some even have an on-board chef to make sure you don’t go hungry.

4. Take a submarine ride– It’s not every day that you get the chance to ride in an actual submarine, so take advantage of this unique opportunity. Get on board the Whale Submarine in Malé and see everything from manta rays to turtles and even dolphins.

5. Spot the bioluminescent phytoplankton– We admit that may not sound like the most romantic thing in the world, but trust us on this one. When they crash against each other in the water at night the bioluminescent phytoplankton light up to create a brilliant blue colour that shines like stars in the sea. Have a quick search through Google Images to see what we mean.

Maldives - Making The Most Of Your Holiday | Things To See And Do

Despite their small size, the islands of the Maldives have so much to offer Irish honeymooners. While sunbathing on the most beautiful beaches in the world won’t ever get boring, it is nice to try some other activities too. Here are some of our favourites:

·Like any good relaxing getaway, the Maldives have numerous top quality spas that are purpose-built to pamper you and your partner and leave you both feeling like royalty. Who knows, it may even help with any potential jetlag.

·Remember that the beautiful, unspoilt beaches aren’t just for sunbathing; there’s water there too! Why not go snorkelling or scuba diving and get the opportunity to see some of the world’s most beautiful sea life.

·If you’re not content with just seeing the sea life, there are many traditional fishing trips to take advantage of. You’ll be catching something more colourful than a pike, that’s for sure.

·To head out further to sea, there are speedboat trips and sailing opportunities so that you can see more of the beautiful Indian Ocean.

·For the more adventurous, there are some water sporting options too. Everything from surfing to canoeing and even jet-skiing is on the menu.

Dining, Shopping And Accommodation In The Maldives

·In terms of dining, you are best off going for an all-inclusive deal with a hotel as they offer the best value for money. Food and (in particular) drink can prove expensive if you go searching for it yourself. While the price is high outside of the hotels, there is a noticeable drop in quality of both the food and your dining experience.

·Island B&Bs are expensive and lack the facilities of hotels. Food can be particularly expensive in them and you cannot always guarantee quality.

·Hotels fly in top quality chefs from around the world. This is one of the main reasons that hotels are your best bet for food in the Maldives. They will have chefs who specialise in cooking local dishes and others who are adept at various world cuisines.

·Traditional Maldives food is similar to Malaysian in style but fresh fish also makes up much of the local diet. If you are interested, you and your partner can take cooking classes to learn local/traditional cooking techniques so that you can bring a piece of the Maldives home with you.

Useful Tips For A Holiday In The Maldives

·The time in the Maldives is five hours ahead of that in Ireland.

·The currency in the Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa. You will get around 100 Maldivian Rufiyaa for just €5.83 (Exchange correct as of May 2015).

·As a former British colony, the Maldives use the same plug type as we do in Ireland so there should be no need to bring an adaptor with you.

·Tipping is part of Maldivian culture so you may be expected to tip if you are staying in a high-class resort, but don’t feel like you have to break the bank for it.

·Because the Maldives is a Muslim country, you cannot bring alcohol into the country, although you can buy it easily on the resort islands. Just don’t grab a bottle of rum in the duty-free as it will be confiscated upon your arrival.

·Similarly, nudist or topless sunbathing is technically illegal and may result in you being arrested, so it’s best to keep your bathing suit on. Even if you get away with it, the locals may see it as a sign of disrespect.

·The Maldives is often referred to as the lowest country in the world, with its highest natural point only 7ft 10in above sea-level. This makes it perfect for wandering around as the terrain is flat for the most part.